hoo boy

English

Alternative forms

• hoo-boy; hoo, boy

Interjection

hoo boy

1. Used to express strong emotion, especially relief or mock dread.

   Synonyms: hoo doggy, whew

   • 2009, Richard Scrimger, The Boy from Earth, →ISBN, page 146:

     It sounds a lot like a ... well, like a fart, but—hoo boy—I would not like to be standing behind whoever it was that let it out.

   • 2015, Chris Loblaw, The Patchwork Boy, →ISBN, page 138:

     Mallory exhaled noisily. “Hoo boy, I was hoping to leave that one alone for a while. Like, years and years."

   • 2015, Huntley Fitzpatrick, The Boy Most Likely To, →ISBN, page 274:

     “Hoo boy,” Duff says under his breath. “Jase got burned deep on that pass.”